The Author’s Preface to the Reader

GUIDED by a natural inclination, I gave myself up in my most early years to the study of architecture: and as it was always my opinion, that the antient Romans, as in many other things, so in building well, vastly excelled all those who have been since their time, I proposed to myself Vitruvius for my master and guide, who is the only antient writer of this art, and set myself to search into the reliques of all the antient edifices, that, in spight of time and the cruelty of the Barbarians, yet remain; and finding them much more worthy of observation, than at first I had imagined, I began very minutely with the utmost diligence to measure every one of their parts; of which I grew at last so sollicitous an examiner, (not finding any thing which was not done with reason and beautiful proportion) that I have very frequently not only travelled in different parts of Italy, but also out of it, that I might intirely, from them, comprehend what the whole had been, and reduce it into design.

Whereupon perceiving how much this common use of building was different from the observations I had made upon the said edifices, and from what I had read in Vitruvius, Leon Battista Alberti, and in other excellent writers who have been since Vitruvius, and from those also which by me have lately been practised with the utmost satisfaction and applause of those who have made use of my works; it seemed to me a thing worthy of a man, who ought not to be born for himself only, but also for the utility of others, to publish the designs of those edifices, (in collecting which, I have employed so much time, and exposed myself to so many dangers) and concisely to set down whatever in them appeared to me more worthy of consideration; and moreover, those rules which I have observed, and now observe, in building; that they who shall read these my books, may be able to make use of whatever will be good therein, and supply those things in which (as many perhaps there may be) I shall have failed; that one may learn, by little and little, to lay aside the strange abuses, the barbarous inventions, the superfluous expence, and (what is of greater consequence) avoid the various and continual ruins that have been seen in many fabricks.

I applied myself the more willingly to this undertaking, as I see great numbers of persons at this time applying themselves to the study of this profession, many of which are worthily and honourably mentioned in the books of Messer Giorgio Vasari Aretino, a painter and rare architect.

I therefore hope, that the manner of building may with universal utility be reduced, and soon brought to that pitch of perfection, which in all the arts is greatly desired, and to which it seems that this part of Italy is very nearly arrived; since that not only in Venice, where all the good arts flourish, and which only remains as an example of the grandeur and magnificence of the Romans, one begins to see fabricks that have something good in them, since Messer Giacomo Sansovino, a celebrated sculptor and architect, first began to make known the beautiful manner, as is seen (not to mention many other beautiful works of his) in the new Procuratia, which is the richest and most adorned edifice, that perhaps has been made since the antients; but also in many other places of less fame, particularly in Vicenza, a city of no very large circumference, but full of most noble intellects, and abounding sufficiently with riches; and where I had first an opportunity to practise what I now publish for common utility, where a great number of very beautiful fabricks are to be seen, and where there have been many gentlemen very studious in this art, who, for their nobility and excellent learning, are not unworthy to be numbered among the most illustrious; as Signor Giovan Giorgio Trissino, the splendor of our times; the Counts Marc Antonio and Adriano De Thieni, brothers; Signor Antenore Pagello, Knight; and besides these, who are passed to a better life, having eternized their memory in their beautiful and most adorned fabricks, there is now Signor Fabio Monza, intelligent in a great many things; Signor Elio De Belli, son of Signor Valerio, famous for the artifice of camei's and engraving in crystal; Signor Antonio Francesco Oliviera, who, besides the knowledge of many sciences, is an architect, and an excellent poet, as he has shewn in his Alemana, a poem in heroick verse, and in a fabrick of his at Boschi di Nanto, a place in the Vicentine; and lastly, (to omit many more, who might very deservedly be placed in the same rank) Signor Valerio Barbarano, a most diligent observer of all that belongs to this profession.

But to return to our subject: As I am to publish those labours that I have from my youth hitherto undergone, in searching and measuring (with the greatest care and diligence I could) all those antient edifices that came to my knowledge; and upon this occasion, in a few words, to treat of architecture, as orderly and distinctly as was possible for me; I thought it would be very convenient to begin with private houses, because one ought to believe, that those first gave rise to publick edifices; it being very probable, that man formerly lived by himself; but afterwards, seeing he required the assistance of other men, to obtain those things that might make him happy, (if any happiness is to be found here below) naturally sought and loved the company of other men: whereupon of several houses, villages were formed, and then of many villages, cities, and in these publick places and edifices were made.

And also because of all the parts of architecture there is none so necessary to mankind, nor that is oftener used than this, I shall therefore first treat of private houses, and afterwards of publick edifices; and shall briefly treat of streets, bridges, piazze, prisons, basiliche (which are places of justice) xisti, palestre (which are places where men exercised themselves) of temples, theatres, amphitheatres, arches, baths, aqueducts; and lastly, of the manner of fortifying cities and sea-ports.

And in all these books I shall avoid the superfluity of words, and simply give those directions that seem to me most necessary, and shall make use of those terms which at this time are most commonly in use among artificers.

And because I cannot promise any more myself, (save the long fatigue, great diligence, and the love that I have bestowed to understand and practise what I now offer,) if it pleases God that I may not have laboured in vain, I shall heartily thank his goodness; acknowledging withal, myself obliged to those, that from their beautiful inventions, and from the experience they had, have left the precepts of such an art, because they have opened a more easy and expeditious way to the discovery of new things, and that by their means we have attained to the knowledge of many things, which perhaps had otherwise been hid.

The first part shall be divided into two books; in the first shall be treated of the preparation of the materials, and when prepared, how, and in what manner, they ought to be put to use, from the foundation up to the roof: where those precepts shall be, that are universal, and ought to be observed in all edifices, as well private as publick.

In the second I shall treat of the quality of the fabricks that are suitable to the different ranks of men: first of those of a city; and then of the most convenient situation for villa’s, and in what manner they are to be disposed.

And as we have but very few examples from the antients, of which we can make use, I shall insert the plans and elevations of many fabricks I have erected, for different gentlemen, and the designs of the antients houses, and of those parts which are most remarkable in them, in the manner that Vitruvius shews us they were made.